October 28, 2009 3:22 pm

Running back Louis Rankin is on the active roster, giving the Seahawks four running backs available. The UW product looked good returning kicks while in Oakland, so that could be a role he might serve for Seattle if he remains on the active roster for Sunday’s game.

But, of course, the news that most players were talking about was Walter Jones being placed on the season-ending injured reserve list for the second straight year.

Wide receiver Nate Burleson said he had just heard about the news when I talked to him after practice.

“If I didn’t know Walter, I would probably be disappointed because he’s not on the field,” Burleson said. “But I know Walter. He’s a good dude. And I’d rather see him be able to walk around, then to risk something and be another NFL player who 10 years from now can’t play with his child.”

Burleson believes the news gives the team a sense of closure, in terms of knowing that the guys currently on the roster are the ones they’ll have to work with for the rest of the season.

“Now we know that he’s not going to come back,” Burleson said. “Now we can move on and start to really establish what we’ve got.”

Offensive guard Rob Sims said the offensive line will try and go out and live up to the lofty standard Jones set during his career.

“Walt is the heart and soul if this offensive line,” Sims said. “We’re going to miss him, his leadership and stuff like that. But hopefully he can just go get better, and hopefully we can see him next year. He’s still a big part of this team. He’s still a big part of us, and he’ll be around. We’re going to try and play well for him.”

Cornerback Marcus Trufant, who’s been with Seattle for seven season, had this to say about the news on Jones.

“That’s just how it can go sometimes,” he said. “When you play for a long time, when things aren’t exactly going the way you want them to, things like that happen. It’s like that sometimes. I mean your heart goes out to him. I mean, I don’t know. It’s tough, but it happens.”

Offensive tackle Damion McIntosh now steps in to fill the void at left tackle, and says he’ll be ready to go on Sunday. The 10-year veteran says he hasn’t’ faced DeMarcus Ware before, but has a plan in how to deal with last season’s league sack leader.

“I’ve studied a lot of film on him, and pretty much just get myself prepared,” McIntosh said. “And just watch him and watch everything that he does. And other than that just worry about my game, and just be the aggressor, and not be the one that receives all the aggression.”

UPDATE: Here’s the injury report for today.

LB Lofa Tatupu (pectoral) is out.

QB Matt Hasselbeck (rib) did not participate in practice, along with OT Sean Locklear (ankle) and C.J. Wallace (hamstring).

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Gregg Bell joined The News Tribune in July 2014. Bell had been the director of writing for the University of Washington's athletic department for four years. He was the senior national sports writer in Seattle for The Associated Press from 2005-10, covering the Seahawks in their first Super Bowl season and beyond. He's also been The Sacramento Bee's beat writer on the Oakland Athletics and Raiders. The native of Steubenville, Ohio, is a 1993 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and a 2000 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.

It is not a given that Sean Locklear will be near 100% anytime soon. High ankle sprains can problematic enough that he has surgery this season or during the the off season. God bless Walter Jones, God Bless the bloodied Seahawks.

McIntosh, please bring your A game Sunday, or Mr Knapp please run the play-action pass all day. Mora “Play offs, What? Playoffs?..”, where Hass says ” Pocket? Who said anything about a pocket?”

Play action is worthless unless there is the threat of an actually effective running game. I suspect the Cowboys are not going to respect the run until the ‘Hawks can prove they are able to move it on the ground. I think the only way that happens is if they re-establish the mid range passing game (5 yard slants, quick hooks, seam routs, etc…) and make the ‘Boys get off the line. Not only does that help open things for Jones by giving the line fewer defenders to account for but keeps Hass from 5 and even 7 step drops where he got killed against the Cards. I think then, play action can become effective. At least IMO.

I really don’t think there is anything magical the Mike Holmgren can do for this team that Tim Ruskell cannot do as well.

We need a few more pieces in place, and time for healthy linemen to work together for string of games. Hiring Holmy wouldn’t change that. I don’t want to see another tear-down and rebuild of this team. Unless of course we lose the next 10 games, but I don’t foresee that.

Its no time to panic. McIntosh will get us through this week at LT. Whether we win or lose will not depend entirely on him. We didn’t stand much of a chance with the line we presented against the Cardinals, but now that most of the line is together again, winning or losing against the Cowboys will depend on the performance of all our team’s units, not just our O line.

I’m looking forward seeing Sims back, and then next week having our five starters all together again. There is no reason that Locklear-Sims-Spencer-Unger-Willis cannot become a very good O line.

I may have given up on this team getting into the playoffs, but I haven’t given up on this becoming a very good football team over the next 10 games.

Finally some “closure”…. I can’t be the only one tired of hearing the protective updates on Walter…. I feel the Hawks let us down on this situation… No reflection on Walt, though…. Can only wish him the best….. I lose respect quickly when lied to….

Stevos – I know I’m going to get ripped for this, but I agree with you about Ruskell getting another chance. I would be okay with him getting a 1 or 2 year extention (not 3-5 years though – that needs to be earned by another Super Bowl). I have been critical of some of his moves but you live and learn. I’d rather have him and his feel for this team than a greenhorn coming in. I like Mike Holmgren more than I like Tim Ruskell, but I think Ruskell is a better evaluator of talent and that’s what I’d rather have in a GM. I am also a fan of the high character types. And I firmly believe we have a good/great team that he assembled MINUS the OL. I would put a clause in the contract that if he didn’t go hard and heavy after OL this next off-season that the Seahawks have a right to shoot him without any murder charges ever getting filed (whether trades, free agency, or the draft). No more skimping on the most important unit on any team!

Call it a gut feeling about giving Ruskell a 1-2 year extention. I know what the naysayers are going to say… the talent level has dropped, this team is a reflection of him, and I can’t argue with that. Based on what has happened, he deserves to be fired. I agree. Something just tells me to give him one more shot though. Like I said, it’s a gut feeling with no hard logic behind it. Those of you who bash me for saying this are right so don’t even bother telling me how stupid I am b/c I already know that (Duke – I know you’ll be ready to shoot me yourself).

BobbyA, no Lincoln High here. Last week I raised the same concern after my favorite poster poster BobbyK declared he’d trade Curry for some player from the Browns ( I would not trade Curry for all of Cleveland). He denied ever using illegal drugs and I believe him !!
So, what can be the reason for the latest post from our beloved BobbyK?
Maybe the local pot dealer was so stoned that he mistook BobbyK’ house for his own, went in and hid his stash in the flower jar… The old Lady cooked something with it and……..
Or, BobbyK had sent his kids to buy some mushrooms from the local food market. Kids used the money on candy and picked the mushrooms from the near-by pasture……
Most believable reason is : the neighbors made a big bunch of hash-brownies and shared them with BobbyK without mentioning the “hash”part.
I think that is it.
It’s OK BobbyK , we still love You, MAAAAAN.

BobbyA, no Lincoln High here. Last week I raised the same concern after my favorite poster BobbyK declared he’d trade Curry for some player from the Browns ( I would not trade Curry for all of Cleveland). He denied ever using illegal drugs and I believe him !!
So, what can be the reason for the latest posts from our beloved BobbyK?
Maybe the local pot dealer was so stoned that he mistook BobbyK’ house for his own, went in and hid his stash in the flower jar… The old Lady cooked something with it and……..
Or, BobbyK had sent his kids to buy some mushrooms from the local food market. Kids used the money on candy and picked the mushrooms from the near-by pasture……
Most believable reason is : the neighbors made a big bunch of hash-brownies and shared them with BobbyK without mentioning the “hash”part.
I think that is it.
It’s OK BobbyK , we still love You, MAAAAAN.

If Walt truly is done… I would trade Curry for Joe Thomas in a heartbeat (even though Curry is going to be a Pro Bowler and gives the defense a badass mentality). Thomas is 26 and is already a Pro Bowl LT and with Walt being done, he’s arguably the batton has been passed to Thomas as the best LT in the NFL. It’s not Thomas’ fault his team sucks. Nor is it Walt’s fault that the Seahawks never won a Super Bowl when he played.

I knew I’d get ripped for giving a vote of confidence for 1 more year of Ruskell. That’s okay b/c if you look at the facts, all of you who are going to rip me are correct.

In all actuality though… I have never done any drugs besides what the dentist gives you, alchohol, and aspirin. I did have another long day at the office though (it’s been a bad week, actually) so I am on my second beer at the moment. So if some of my posts this week have been a bit on the edge, it’s just been mentally tough (insert me being mental anyways joke here).

It’s OK BobbyK, it’s ok. i said I believe You…. It’s Ok….calm down….things will get better. Just put the kitten and the knife down and slowly walk away….. We’ll sign Ruskell, just as You wished. He knows what his is doing…see? He just signed another line-backer….Ruskell is fine. Calm-down BobbyK, you are loved and we respect You…. It is not Your fault what You’re posting… it is them pesky fingers that do the typing. You just relax now.

MHasselbeck had pain injections directly into the fracture of his ribs the last time he played. That’s kinda major. Dockett targetted Hass and hit him when he wasn’t sacking him like 5 times, and darn sure Ware is gonna try to do the same. McIntosh was called Sacintosh in KC at RT, but wasn’t the greatest at pass pro at LT either. What McIntosh is good at is run blocking. Time to sit Matt and play SW. SW and Matt both have about the same number of attempts and SW has alot more completions. Hass is the better QB, but I don’t want his career to end in DAL, not even his ’09 season.

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